CDFS 4023

Weekly Journal Entry

Name: Taryn Ramsey

Agency/Organization: Good Elementary
Month #: 3, Week 11, March 21 - March 26, 2022
(Refer to dates on Course Timeline)
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Describe daily activities for the week. Comment on experiences that were particularly helpful to
you. Be informative and give specific descriptions and examples such as shadowing, home visits,
or agency meetings.
This week, the students practiced identifying and using primary colors; and were taught
about artist Morton Wayne Thiebaud, who is a painter known for depicting common
objects, such as desserts, with bright colors. As I walked through the classroom, I began
comparing regular classrooms to ancillary classes. My supervisor, Ms. Q, does not have
to deal with a lot of the same headaches that come with being a general educator,
however, managing an ancillary class is not for the faint of heart. While I have become a
firm believer of the opportunity for ancillary teachers to provide and nurture an
environment where students feel relaxed and welcome, I also have to recognize the
amount of work it takes to achieve that. In elementary school, the teachers see every
single student every week and attempt to create a classroom environment that fits the
needs of each student. For example, the Thursday afternoon preschool art students at
Good Elementary are excited and engaging; whereas the Friday afternoon art preschool
students are a bit more timid, and have a greater number of students who are ESL. It is
Ms. Q’s job, and every ancillary teacher’s job, to fit the needs of both classes - and also
the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, kindergarten through fifth grade classes; in just
under an hour. I have always viewed teaching art as a fun and rewarding job - and this
week I learned that as fun and rewarding as it is, it is also incredibly difficult.